Picking up from last time –
This was the first mud run/obstacle course for all 3 of us – Joanna, Nick, and myself.
I don’t think there was any way better than this to do my first one. Obstacles can be intimidating. Getting so incredibly dirty and muddy can be intimidating. But for me, I just took it one step at a time. I didn’t have to worry about an obstacle I could see in the distance. I didn’t get a little grossed out jumping into super muddy water. I just went with the flow. Muddy water felt like normal water to me.
Joannna talked to me about doing this crazy new experience without getting any other friends to run it – and how I’m already signed up for a Spartan race, again with no one else yet signed up.
She thought that was daring, or brave, or something.
I’ve never thought too much about it.
I do, sometimes, try to get people involved in the activities I do. And actually, this year, I’ve met a few more people who seem to be more open to the idea of being involved in these various adventures with me.
But 99% of the time, I don’t decide to forget about things if I can’t find someone to go with. Ultimately, what do I care if I can’t get someone else to go? What do other people have to do with the things I want to do?
I don’t mean to sound for a second like I don’t appreciate time with my friends. Of course I do! Of course I love it, and work for it, and am grateful for it. I’m only trying to say that generally other people’s availability does not dictate my life.
This actually came up in conversation with a friend the other day. He said that this year, his goal was to become okay with going to the movies alone. He asked me if I ever went to the movies alone. And it was just interesting to me that that’s a thing some people don’t like to do. I don’t generally go to movies, but if you took all the time I did, I’d say on the majority of them, I do go alone. And I don’t think twice about it.
Anyway, I’m just kind of repeating the same information over again since I can’t seem to get my thoughts straight. But is this something any of you deal with? How do you feel about doing things alone? Is it bothersome? Not bothersome? I can absolutely appreciate the idea of building stronger friendships, but I also don’t believe in waiting around for life. What do you think?
(And I’ll talk more about the race next time.)